Prepare to Be Searched if You're Driving Into Mexico Ray Stern - Phoenix New Times
go to original March 17, 2017

Arizona CBP officers found $38,000 in a vehicle on Saturday (@CustomsBorder/Twitter)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have ramped up outbound searches of vehicles entering Mexico, looking for smuggled cash, ammunition, firearms, and other contraband.

Outbound searches often increase in what officers call "pulse and surge" operations, especially around spring break or the holiday season. In that sense, outbound searches are actually routine.

But not all travelers are aware of the practice, leading CBP to put out a public notice this week to announce that nothing special was happening.

"There has been some concern about travelers being inspected as they head into Mexico and questions as to why," said Pete Flores, CBP director of field operations in San Diego, in a statement released on Monday. "It's nothing new."

The outbound searches "serve several important benefits both for national security and for the local community," the agency states.

"For example, we've stopped fugitives attempting to flee to Mexico, child abductions, and worked with local law enforcement to stop stolen vehicles from entering Mexico," according to CBP. "By stopping illegal proceeds and weapons heading south, we disrupt that criminal cycle."

The program stems from a 2009 crackdown ordered on Mexican drug cartels, which over the years "has significantly increased the cost of doing business for violent criminal organizations."

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